A man has been charged after speeding through Newcastle and leaving a trail of destruction overnight.
At at 9pm police say a man in an SUV started following the vehicle of a family with two kids in the car at Mount Hutton, allegedly driving dangerously.
He tailed them all the way to Waratah Police Station, where the family reported the incident while the man, who is known to them, continued to drive erratically outside and in nearby streets.
Officers attempted to stop the SUV but it tore off along Georgetown Road with police hot on it’s tail, but when the chase got too dangerous the pursuit was called off.
The driver allegedly sped on through a number of suburbs though, hitting multiple parked cars on Centenary Road and Merewether Street along with a power pole on King Street.
Eventually the rampage was brought to an end when the SUV became stuck on a medium strip at Scott Street after a close call with a tram.
After a brief struggle with police the man was pepper sprayed and finally arrested.
The 33-year-old was taken to the Mater Hospital with minor injuries, where he remains under police guard.
He will answer six charges in a bedside court hearing later today.